Combustion toilet



y ,1964 I e. B. ANDERSON ETAL 3,133,291

' COMBUSTION TOILET Filed Nov. 29, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 La: I 53 lNVENTORs- GEORGE B. ANDERSON STANLEY A. HALL BY MILLS L. CREN HAW THE ATTORN May 19, 1964 Filed NOV. 29, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F 1O I 7 I7 51 FIG. I3

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INVENTOR GEORGE B. ANDERSON STANLEY A. HALL May 19, 1964 Filed Nov. 29, 1962 G. B. ANDERSON ET AL COMBUSTION TOILET 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR GEORGE B. ANDERSON STANLEY A. HALL BY MILLS L. CRENSHAW THEI ATTORNEY 3,133,291 CGMBUSTIGN TGILET George B. Anderson, Stanley A. Hall, and Mills L. Crenshaw, Salt Lake City, Utah, assignors, by mesne assignments, to George B. Anderson, Salt Lake City,

Utah

Filed Nov. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 240,793 4 Claims. c1. 4-131 The present invention relates to combustion operated disposal devices for converting deposited Waste products into gaseous and gaseous suspended by-products, capable of easy elimination, and, more particularly, to a new and improved combustion toilet which is easy to operate, inexpensive to manufacture, and which functions in an optimum manner.

The principle objects of the present invention are to provide a novel feeder mechanism for combustion type devices in general, and to provide an improved combustion toilet of eificient, sanitary, and low cost design in particular.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combustion toilet wherein deposit or contents is synchronized with fire door control by a unique and convenient mechanism of the combustion toilet.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combustion toilet accommodating disposable containers of waste products, thereby insuring that the toilet remains clean.

A further obiect is to provide a new and improved combustion toilet wherein the fire bowl area is selectively isolated from the waste prdoucts admittance area, with selective communication being accomplished in a convenient and automatic way when desired, and this in such a manner that the contents will conveniently slide down into the fire bowl and the fire door close upon the performance of a convenient operation.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the combustion toilet of the present invention in one form thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a plan of the structure shown in FIG- URE 1; in FIGURE 2 a portion of the structure is broken away for purposes of clarity.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged section taken along the line 33 in FIGURE 1 and showing a rear view of 'a portion of the structure involved.

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal vertical section taken along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 2, showing a principle portion of the structure with the toilet lid erected and shown in fragmentary view.

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of certain interior structure, including the fire door, of the invention, is enlarged in scale, and is taken along the line 55 in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 6 illustrates in section view the extremities of the fire door and is taken along the line 6-6 in FIG- URE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation, reversed to that shown in FIGURE 4, of the interior structure of the combustion toilet when the casing thereof is removed; in FIGURE 7 a condition is indicated wherein the fire door is closed over its opening into the fire bowl and the tray chute is in horizontal position, ready to support a disposable container.

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7, but tln's time illustrates the toilet lid as being almost closed and, in this configurement, the fire door is illustrated raised Patented May 19, 1964 above the opening into the fire bowl and the tray chute depending so that contents thereon may slide into the fire bowl area.

FIGURE 9 is a view of portion of the structure shown in FIGURE 8, is similar to FIGURE 8 in this respect, and illustrates the condition wherein the control mechanism associated with the toilet lid becomes disengaged with its associated cam member so as to permit the fire door to return to closed position and the tray chute to raise to a horizontal erect condition.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the structure shown in FIGURE 9 wherein the control mechanism is allowed to slip past and re-engage the cam member of the structure forsubsequent operation of the toilet.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged view, taken along the lines 1l11 in FIGURE 8 and rotated in a clockwise direction for the convenience of illustration, of the control mechanism which is associated with the toilet seat of the invention to perform certain intended functions hereinafter described.

FIGURE 12 is a side elevation of the interior housing of the structure, showing the support bracket included for mounting the outer casing to the interior structure.

FIGURE 13 is a plan of the structure shown in FIG- URE l2, and is broken away in certain places for clarity of illustration.

FIGURE 14- is a fragmentary View, partially in section, of a representative roller wheel used with a representative C-section runner in the structure ofthe invention.

FIGURE 15 is a diagram in schematic form of the fuel and electrical system which may be used in the invention.

In FIGURE 1 the combustion toilet of the present invention is shown to include a rigid casing 10 which may be fabricated from a suitable plastic, from Fiberglas, or even metal or wood. Disposed upon the top of casing 10 is a timer switch 11 which may be manually turned to a desired or a preset setting, as desired. The timer switch 11 controls the duration of firing of the toilet unit. Stack 12 is included, is disposed through the casing 10, and serves the purpose of conducting away from the toilet the gases and combustion products generated therewithin. Casing 10 includes an aperture 13 over which are disposed toilet seat 14 and toilet lid 15, respectively. Both are pivotally journalled about fixed pivot rod 16, the latter being secured transversely to the upper sides or" housing 17. See FIGURE 4. Fire bowl 118 includes an asbestos cover 19 through which is disposed the stack 12 in communicative relationship with fire bowl 13. Baiiles 20 and 21 are interiorly afiixed to fire bowl 18 and with their extremities spaced apart at 22. The purpose of bafiies 20 and Z1 is to retain heat within the fire bowl for burning the waste products disposed therein. Spacing 22 simply insures a tortuous outlet for the combustion products and gasses so formed, to be conducted away from the unit by stack 12.

Disposed within the fire bowl 18 is a grate 23 which is preferably slanted, removable, and releasably supported upon shoulder bracket 24. Burner 25 is secured to partition 26 beneath grate 23, and its flame directing shroud 27 is also disposed beneath grate 23. Thus, contents dropped upon grate 23 will slide downwardly toward baffle 21 and, upon the activation of burner 25, the contents disposed upon grate 23 will be subjected to flame proceeding through shroud 27. Shroud 27 preferably is poen at both ends to admit air received from vent Z8. Vent 28 may simply comprise a screen or grill which is suitably secured to the casing 10. Preferably, the casing It will include a bottom plate 29, preferably fabricated from a relatively heavy steel. Support risers 30 and 31 will support the fire bowl 18, and there will be disposed therebetween heat insulating pads 32 and 33. A general unit 34, including a general control 35 and a pilot safety control 36, will be conveniently disposed within casing and mounted to housing 17 in a conventional manner.

Admittance opening 38 of fire bowl 18 is selectively closed by the insulative, substantially vertically slideable fire door 39 which is an asbestos and metal sandwich constructure as shown and which has U-configured metal margins 40 engaging guide flanges 41 of the fire bowl 18 in an up and down, slideable manner.

The slide extremity portions of the fire door 39 are illustrated in FIGURE 6 wherein the sandwich construction is shown to include metal backing plate 42, a pair of asbestos layers of rectangular configuration 43 and 44, and conventional attachments 45 which secure the sandwich together.

The fire door 39 is also illustrated in FIGURE 5 wherein it will be seen that the same includes on either side thereof pairs of stub shafts 46, 47 and 48 to the extremities of which are secured respective wheel rollers 49, 50 and 51. Channel runners 52 are preferably metal channel sections which serve as guides for the pair of rollers 51. The channel runners 52 (a pair) are disposed at both extremities of th structure, i.e. right and left sides, and, accordingly, are mutually spaced, secure the pivot rod 16 in position, and are preferably secured to the right and left sides of housing 17. It will be noted that the pairs of rollers 49 and 51, and 50, associated with fire door 39 are adapted to roll freely up and down the inclined channel runners 52 and 53, respectively.

There are supplied a pair of channel runners 53 on both sides of the structure. These channel runners receive the respective rollers 50 of fire door 39 and also receive respective rollers 54 of tray chute 55, see FIG- URE 7. Rollers 54 are fixedly journaled on both sides of tray chute 55, being afiixed thereto by journal pins 56, see FIGURE 13. A respective plate 57 is welded or otherwise secured to the respective opposite sides 17', 17" of housing 17 and pivot attachments are journaled to plates 57, and are fixed to respective channel runners 53 so that the latter may pivot clockwise and counter-clockwise with reference to FIGURE 7 about the aligned axes of pivot attachments 58. Disposed between and journaled through the sides 17 and 17" of housing 17 is a rod 59 which is welded to tray chute 55.

Of special importance is the inclusion on each side of the apparatus of a respective cam member 60. Each of the cam members 60 is provided with a cam portion 61 and a lever arm 62. The cam members 60 are journaled either to the housing 17 or to the top of fire bowl 18, as desired, by a pivot rod 63. Lever arm 62 of each of the cam members 60 is adapted to engage in an abutting relationship a respective, stub, pivot shaft 49 of the fire door 39. Correspondingly, a work arm or finger 63 is afiixed to toilet lid at its hinge member 64. Work arm 63 includes a principal member 65 rigidly afiixed to sleeve 66. Sleeve 66 comprises a U-configured channel which is open at its rear at 67. A foot 68 is pivotally mounted at 69 to the sleeve 66, and a roller wheel 70 is pivotally journaled to the foot 68. As noted in FIG- 'URE 7, foot 68 and principal member 65, when rectilinear, contact each other, or foot 68 engages sleeve 66, such that foot 68 cannot proceed farther in a clockwise direction. The rearmost adjacent corners of the foot 68 and principal member 65 are mounted so as to permit a selective pivotal displacement, from straight position and in a counter-clockwise direction, of the foot 68 about pivot means 69. Thus, the lowering of lid 15 in FIG- URE 7 will produce a counter-clockwise rotational displacement of work arm 63 so that roller wheel 7 0 will roll up cam portion 61 of cam member 60'. This in turn produces a clockwise rotational displacement of cam member 60, as roller wheel 70 rides up the cam portion 61, so that the finger or lever arm 62 will commence to raise its respective pivot shaft 49 associated with fire door 39. The structure will be identical on both sides of the apparatus in this regard.

Hence, after one uses the toilet, the toilet lid 15 is simply lowered so as to cause the raising of fire door 39. Simultaneously, there will occur a lowering of tray chute 55, i.e. a tipping of the tray chute 55 downwardly in a clockwise direction about the axis of fixed rod 59. This is produced by the raising of the fire door and the corresponding raising of the right ends of channel runners (runner tracks) 53 by respectiv rollers 50 of fire door 39, pivoting runners 53 in a counter-clockwise direction about attachments 58 so as to cause tray chute 55 to dip downwardly.

The downwardly rearward tilting of tray chute 55 will cause the disposable container 72 in FIGURE 4 to drop rearwardly, see FIGURES 4 and 8, so that the same will slide down grate 23 and come to rest against the heat shield or bafile 21. FIGURE 9 indicates that when the toilet lid 15 is lowered from the position shown in FIG- URE 8 still farther, the roller wheel 7 0 will roll past cam portion 61 of cam member 68 so as to become all together disengaged therefrom. At this point the weight of the fire door is sufiicient to return cam member 60 in a counter-clockwise direction so that the fire door will close over fire bowl opening 58. This downward motion will also produce a clockwis rotational displacement of channel runner 53 about the axis of pivot attachments 58 on each side of the apparatus, so as to raise the tray chute 55. Thus, a subsequent user of the toilet need only raise toilet lid 15 and deposit a disposable container 72 on to the tray in order to adapt the toilet ready for use.

Hence, as the new user lifts the toilet seat, the knee action of work arm 63 will permit roller wheel 70 to slip past the extremity of cam portion 61. This is illustrated in FIGURE 10. Further raising of the toilet lid will enable the roller wheel 70 to again come in operative enengagement with cam portion 61 so that, upon the lowering of the seat, the action heretofore explained will occur.

FIGURE 9 indicates the condition of the structure wherein, as the lid 15 is depressed farther, i.e. past the lid orientation in FIGURE 8, the roller wheel 70 slips past engagement with cam portion 61 so as to permit the fire door 39 to drop, thus raising, via the action of runner 53, the tray chute 55. FIGURE 10 indicates the beginning of the return of engagement of roller wheel 70 with cam portion 61 upon the raising of lid 15 for subsequent use.

Additional structure to be noted for practicing the invention is the construction bracket 75 which may be used to secure the casing 10 in place as shown in FIGURE 4.

The connection of the fuel supply and the electrical components involved are illustrated in FIGURE 15 and is substantially identical to one of the co-inventors copending case, Serial No. 182,235, entitled Combustion, Vaporization Waste Receptacle. In FIGURE 15 the system which can be used, and which is preferable is indicated. Fuel supply 78 is connected to T 79 from which proceeds forth lines 80 and 81 respectively leading to a general control 35 and a pilot safety control 36. Conduit 84 operatively interconnects general control 35 with burner 25 which fires the unit. FIGURE 4 indicates that the general control 35 and pilot safety control 36 may be incorporated into a single unit 34. Conduit 82 interconnects pilot safety control 36 and pilot pressure control 83; conduit 84 leads from pilot pressure control 83 to the pilot 85. Static electricity generating thermocouple 86 is electrically connected to timer switch 11 by electrical lead 87 and to pilot safety control 36 and temperature safety control 88 by leads 89, 90, and 91. Electrical leads 92 and 93 respectively disposed between general control 35 and temperature safety control 88 and also between general control 35 and timer switch 11 complete the circuit.

General control 35, pilot safety control 36, pilot pressure control 83, static electricity generating thermocouple 86, and pilot are conventional components and may be found in conventional, hot water heater systems which are similar to the present system. As is well known in the art, the heat of the pilot 68 is in part converted into electricity at the thermocouple 86 which keeps the pilot safety control 36 open through its solenoid valve or other suitable means. When the pilot is off, then the thermocouple 86 no longer generates electricity so that the pilot safety control will be initially switched by its conventional electrical means to a non-conductive state thus precluding the discharge of fuel from pilot 68 when a flame is present thereat. Thermocouple 86 is also coupled to the adjustable timer 11, and general control 35, to temperature safety control 88 and back to thermocouple 86. The electric timer 11 is a manually pre-set type which electrically opens upon the timer hand returning to zero position. When the pilot 85 is lit, then the general control 35 will receive suificient elec trical current from thermocouple 86 to keep the general control open for conducting of fuel therethrough, provided of course that the safety control 88 is also closed. Safety control 38, a bimetallic strip, may be disposed within the casing as a safety device. The use of the safety control $8 is purely optional. If it is not used leads 91 and @2 will join together. When the timer is closed (this is normally closed while running) then the fuel will be conducted to burner 69 so as to achieve the combustion and vaporization of the products within fire bowl 18 as desired. Once the timer switch returns to zero this circuit will open so as to interrupt the electrical circuit to general control 35, de-energize its solenoid (not shown), and cut ofi general fuel flow to burner 25. Thus, fuel will be supplied to burner 25 only when the timer switch 11 is running. In all other respects the circuit is substantially thesame as is present in conventional hot water heater systems.

Accordingly, it is seen that the present invention supplies a novel and unique combustion type toilet for incinerating waste products. 7

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. A combustion toilet including, in combination, a casing having an upper access aperture; a toilet seat disposed over said access aperture; a fire bowl disposed within said casing, said fire bowl having an elevated, contents admittance aperture; a declining, ramp-like grate within said fire bowl disposed at and proceeding from the underside of said contents admittance aperture down into the interior of said fire bowl; an exhaust stack disposed in communication with said fire bowl above said grate and proceeding outwardly of said casing; burner means disposed through said fire bowl and underneath said grate; a fire door removably disposed over said fire bowl contents admittance aperture; a tray chute, normally horizontal, disposed underneath said casing aperture and adjacent said fire door and adapted to receive a disposable container; means for selectively moving said fire door to uncover said contents admittance aperture of said fire bowl; and means for selectively tipping rearwardly said tray chute, upon such movement of said fire door, to permit said disposable container to slide down said tray chute to and down said grate into said incinerate said disposable container and its contents, permitting the gaseous and gaseous suspended products to be carried out of said fire bowl upwardly through and out said stack.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said fire bowl includes heat bafiie means disposed between said grate and said stack for retaining heat within said fire bowl and for imposing a tortuous escape path upon gaseous and gaseous suspended combustion products proceeding to said stack.

3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said tray chute tipping means and said fire door moving means are coupled together for actuation thereof by a single control, said combustion toilet including control means coupled to said tray chute tipping means and said fire door moving means for so actuating said tray chute tipping means and said fire door moving means, said control means constituting said control.

4. A combustion toilet including, in combination, a casing having an upper access aperture; a fire bowl disposed within said casing, said fire bowl having an elevated contents admittance aperture;- a toilet seat disposed over said access aperture; a toilet lid resting on said toilet seat; journaled pivot rod means affixed to said toilet lid and adapted to rotate about its own axis upon the raising of said toilet lid; a declining, ramp-like grate within and means for firing said burner means a selected time to said fire bowl disposed at and proceeding from the underside of said contents admittance aperture down into the interior of said fire bowl; an exhaust stack disposed in communication with said fire bowl above said grate and proceeding outwardly of said casing; burner means disposed through and into the interior of said fire bowl and underneath said grate; a fire door removably disposed in a transversely slideable manner over said fire bowl contents admittance aperture; plural roller Wheels journaled on either side of and to said fire door; a pair of first runner tracks fixedly disposed with respect to said casing on opposite sides of said fire door and operatively receiving selected ones of said roller wheels; a tray chute normally horizontal, disposed underneath said casing aperture and adjacent said fire door and adapted to receive a disposable container; means 'for selectively moving said fire door to uncover said contents admittance aperture of said fire bowl; means affixed to said moving means for automatically actuating said moving means upon the manual movement of said toilet lid; a second pivot rod affixed to said tray chute and journaled for rotation about a transverse horizontal axis upon the tipping of said tray chute; roller means journaled on either side of said tray chute; second runner track means operatively engaging said roller means of said tray chute and pivotally fixed medially thereof with respect to said casing, said second runner tracks operatively engaging others of said roller wheels journaled to said fire door; a fuel supply coupled to said burner means; and means for firing said burner means a selected time to incinerate said disposable container and its contents, permitting the gaseous and gaseous suspended products to be carried out of said fire bowl upwardly through and out said stack.

References fitted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 187,270 Hanel Feb. 13, 1877' 1,290,615 McGary Ian. 7, 1919 3,059,597 Wood Oct. 23, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 634,673 Germany Sept. 1, 1936 

1. A COMBUSTION TOILET INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION, A CASING HAVING AN UPPER ACCESS APERTURE; A TOILET SEAT DISPOSED OVER SAID ACCESS APERTURE; A FIRE BOWL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CASING, SAID FIRE BOWL HAVING AN ELEVATED, CONTENTS ADMITTANCE APERTURE; A DECLINING, RAMP-LIKE GRATE WITHIN SAID FIRE BOWL DISPOSED AT AND PROCEEDING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CONTENTS ADMITTANCE APERTURE DOWN INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID FIRE BOWL; AN EXHAUST STACK DISPOSED IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID FIRE BOWL ABOVE SAID GRATE AND PROCEEDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID CASING; BURNER MEANS DISPOSED THROUGH SAID FIRE BOWL AND UNDERNEATH SAID GRATE; A FIRE DOOR REMOVABLY DISPOSED OVER SAID FIRE BOWL CONTENTS ADMITTANCE APERTURE; A TRAY CHUTE, NORMALLY HORIZONTAL, DISPOSED UNDERNEATH SAID CASING APERTURE AND ADJACENT SAID FIRE DOOR AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A DISPOSABLE CONTAINER; MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY MOVING SAID FIRE DOOR TO UNCOVER SAID CONTENTS ADMITTANCE APERTURE OF SAID FIRE BOWL; AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY TIPPING REARWARDLY SAID TRAY CHUTE, UPON SUCH MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRE DOOR, TO PERMIT SAID DISPOSABLE CONTAINER TO SLIDE DOWN SAID TRAY CHUTE TO AND DOWN SAID GRATE INTO SAID FIRE BOWL; A FUEL SUPPLY COUPLED TO SAID BURNER MEANS; AND MEANS FOR FIRING SAID BURNER MEANS A SELECTED TIME TO INCINERATE SAID DISPOSABLE CONTAINER AND ITS CONTENTS, PERMITTING THE GASEOUS AND GASEOUS SUSPENDED PRODUCTS TO BE CARRIED OUT OF SAID FIRE BOWL UPWARDLY THROUGH AND OUT SAID STACK. 